The Nipmucs used to live in parts of what is now New England, along with other Native American groups. They had their own culture, including language, clothing, traditions, and religion. That’s what gave them their community identity. Once their land was taken over by European settlers in colonial times, the Nipmucs began to move to different regions of the country. They are no longer all in the same area, and Wachusett Mountain, in central Massachusetts, is no longer part of their land.

For Keely, the loss of the mountain is symbolic: she feels that Wachusett has lost its Nipmuc identity, just like the Nipmuc people. That’s why she once wanted to get the mountain back—she wanted to change it back into a center of Nipmuc culture. If this could happen, more Nipmucs would come to it, and the sacred mountain could once again be a symbol of Nipmuc pride and community.